Helping new parents see their babies in Neonatal Intensive Care

Parents will continue to receive photographs of their newborn babies while they’re in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), thanks to your generous donations.

Some babies born with certain conditions, or after a complicated birth, have to be whisked straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – meaning their parents are unable to see them for the first few hours of their lives, and may be unable to hold them for several days or even weeks.

A grant of £518 will supply more print cartridges and special photographic paper for the NICU to use for admission photos and to capture those first milestones, such as baby’s first bath. These photos provide much needed comfort at a worrying time for families. It can also help parents who wish to breastfeed, express milk in the first few days.

For families who live far away and are unable to visit as often as they like, the photos are part of a diary of care. Staff use the diary to record positive events and special moments so that parents don’t miss out.

Although the funding amount is small, the impact is significant for parents and carers of the over 1,500 poorly and premature babies treated at City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre each year.